Latest Audi TT RS makes use of five cylinders

23 September, 2016

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“If you’re a fan of Group B rally, you’ll understand the excitement of the latest Audi TT RS. The five-cylinder engine is back and with more factory power than ever before”

Although I wave the Japanese flag day-to-day, a lot of you won’t know that my first road-going vehicle (not counting my paddock cars) was a 1989 Audi 90 Quattro. It featured a five-cylinder KV engine with 330,000 miles, a sagging roofline, and a few electrical gremlins.

I loved it though, and it was my very first project car. Being 15 years of age, I saved up for a set of lowering springs to be installed at Mag and Turbo, had a large ‘cannon-style’ muffler welded onto the back, and installed a vacuum gauge and subwoofer — all of the vital performance upgrades, sigh. After installing the large exhaust (as ugly as it was), it did give me a newfound love for Audi’s five-cylinder engines. A smooth, yet burbly note that you have to hear to understand. It was gutless, but it didn’t matter — it sounded incredible.

Audi has finally given us a glimpse at the latest TT RS model, and they’ve announced the five-cylinder it packs under the bonnet is a fire-breathing dragon with 400hp — that’s 270hp more than my old 90 Quattro. Why is this so exciting? Well, if you haven’t noticed, vehicle manufacturers the world over are ripping out engines they’re well known for and replacing them with more compact and efficient units — boring!

Think R35 GT-R, as they stopped production of the harmonious RB26 engine and replaced it with a trombone-sounding VR38 engine. Ford have also done the same thing by installing an economy-focused four-cylinder turbo engine into their Mustang — however, they did retain a V8 option.

RS Audis have always been bonkers, and they’ve always been a dream of mine to own. The Audi TT RS is no different; it has much stiffer suspension, added styling features, and, of course, the bonkers engine. How’s that interior? Nice, right? We haven’t driven one yet, so if you’re wanting to know how it drives, we can’t tell you. But it’d no doubt be mental with that much power.

“Gotcha!’’ The continuing tale of a Nissan/Datsun tragic – part two

8 May, 2026

In 1996, I was on a mission to buy a suitable pavement scorcher and visited the now-defunct Manukau City Car Fair. Unbelievably, among the sea of four-door utilitarian Japanese compacts was the absolute jewel in the crown, my automobile wet dream — a 1985 two-door R30 RS Nissan Skyline FJ20 Turbo five-speed manual in nice condition. The owner wanted $10,000 — a great deal.
But what did I do? I bailed out, paralysed by indecision. The money would have been a stretch, but it was the worst automotive choice I ever made. Instead, I went for a rusty Toyota Sprinter 8 Valve Twin Cam Coupé, which was pretty terminal from the get-go. I know. We’ve all done it, but there was really no excuse for passing up the Skyline, and I was haunted by that for years.

Last Tango in the Fast Lane

30 April, 2026

In the mid ’80s, I locked into a serious Nissan/Datsun performance obsession. It could have kicked off with my ’82 Datsun Sunny, though this would have been a bit of a stretch of the imagination, given its normally aspirated 1.2-litre motor — not the sort of thing to unleash radical road warrior dreams. But it did plant a seed, and it was a sweet little machine and surprisingly quick, in contrast to all the diabolical English offerings I had endured.
I was living in South Auckland at the time and was an unrepentant petrolhead. Motor racing was my drug of choice, and I followed the scene slavishly. Saloon car racing, with the arrival of the international Group A formula, was having a serious renaissance here and in Australia and Europe. There was suddenly an exotic air in local racing that had been absent for 15 years.
I was transfixed by this new frontier of motor racing that had hit our tracks in 1985–87 and the new array of machinery on display. In 1986, the Nissan Skyline RS DR30 made a blinding impression on me. The Australian Fred Gibson-run, Peter Jackson-sponsored team of George Fury and Glenn Seton were the fastest crew of the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship. But Kiwi legend Robbie Francevic snuck through to win the Aussie Championship in his Volvo 240T after a strong start and consistent finishes.

Latest Audi TT RS makes use of five cylinders

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